Errant cabbies on Delhi cops’ radar

Intense public outrage over the abduction and gang-rape of a 30-year-old BPO employee on November 24 has ensured that the Delhi Police keep their promise of tailing call centre cabs carrying female employees.

Intense public outrage over the abduction and gang-rape of a 30-year-old BPO employee on November 24 has ensured that the Delhi Police keep their promise of tailing call centre cabs carrying female employees.

“When we began the exercise on Wednesday, only a few cabs to areas inhabited predominantly by persons hailing from northeast India were on our radar. Just a few days later, the number has increased by more than five times," said a senior Delhi Police officer.

The exercise commenced on December 1 with the tailing of 20 call centre cabs headed to various areas located in south and north Delhi. On Saturday night, 151 vehicles were followed.

“We have not only continued the exercise but also increased the number of call centre cabs being tailed by PCR vans. The exercise has also been extended to a wider area now and is underway almost throughout the capital,” Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta said.

More than 5,000 call centre cabs operate in the city everyday. A majority of this number plies during the graveyard shift - between 1am and 5am, when the Delhi Police's presence on city streets is minimal.

“We are operating with limited resources and cannot tail each cab. However, we will do our best to ensure that we increase the number of vehicles under surveillance gradually just like we have done in the past week,” the officer said.

Widespread censure has also pushed senior officers to mull over penalties for drivers who do not drop the women at their doorsteps. A decision about this is expected on Wednesday.